Despite his reluctance, Landon boarded a flight to New York with his assistant Zoe on Sunday evening.
For an actor playing a supporting role in A Beautiful Mind, having an assistant who also serves as a Makeup Artist accompanying him was already quite a good benefit.
Upon arriving in New York and settling into the hotel arranged by the crew near Fordham University, fatigue quickly set in after the simple check-in.
Shooting did not begin immediately the next day; according to the schedule, the entire day was dedicated to script reading.
This differed from Landon's experience with 24 hours, where the director simply gave a few instructions and started filming immediately. Clearly, the director highly valued this Oscar-aiming biopic.
As a supporting actor, Landon was quite conscientious and arrived at the designated conference room nearly half an hour early.
When he pushed the door open, several people had already arrived in the room. Landon recognized a few of the actors.
Ed Harris, who plays Defense Department official William Parcher, possessed a rugged demeanor and was currently looking down, flipping through the script.
Next to him was the child actress Vivien Cardone, who plays the little girl 'Marcy'—the character in Nash's delusion who never grows up. A woman sat beside her, presumably her mother or guardian.
Further away was the veteran actor Christopher Plummer, who would play the psychiatrist Dr. Rosen. He was currently sipping coffee elegantly.
Another person present was Adam Goldberg, who would play Nash's graduate school classmate, Sol.
Landon maintained the humility expected of a newcomer, actively stepping forward to shake hands with the seniors and the little girl one by one, giving a brief introduction: "Landon Williams, playing Charles."
He could clearly feel a hint of surprise flash in the eyes of Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, and the others. This young, handsome actor was actually going to play Nash's dashing and unrestrained playboy roommate, "Charles"?
This was unexpected for them, but they didn't ask further, merely responding with polite nods.
After the greetings, Landon found a seat near the side, took out his script, and waited quietly.
The conference room door was pushed open again, and everyone's gaze simultaneously turned toward it.
Jennifer Connelly walked in.
She wore a simple off-white knit shirt and jeans, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, with light Makeup Artist on her face, possessing extreme classical beauty.
She would play an important role in this film—Nash's wife, Alicia.
Jennifer's gaze swept across the room.
She naturally took an empty seat next to Landon.
Landon saw this beautiful actress—the dream girl in his heart—sitting next to him. He was very polite; after she sat down, he proactively turned slightly and introduced himself:
"Hello, Ms. Connelly. I am Landon Williams, playing Charles."
Jennifer Connelly turned her head, looked at Landon, showed a surprised expression, and then gave him a smile and nodded: "Hello. Jennifer Connelly, playing Alicia."
The other actors in the conference room cast their gazes over again, this time with a stronger sense of scrutiny.
Charles? This young actor? Could he handle the phantom who represents temptation and indulgence in Nash's mental world?
Many people had question marks in their hearts, but due to professional ethics, they didn't show it.
Approaching the scheduled time, the director Ron Howard, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, and the absolute core of the film—Russell Crowe, who plays Nash—walked in together.
The atmosphere in the conference room immediately became more formal.
Ron Howard sat in the main seat, Akiva Goldsman sat on his right, and Russell Crowe sat on his left.
The Australian actor, who had just reached the peak of his career with Gladiator, looked serious at the moment, carrying the sense of melancholy required for entering the role.
The director briefly reintroduced all attendees, particularly highlighting the newly joined supporting actors, including Landon.
The script reading session officially began.
First, the screenwriter Akiva Goldsman explained the adaptation concept of the script, the balance between historical background and artistic license, and his understanding of the core essence of each character.
Next, the director Ron Howard shared his overall directing philosophy. He hoped to present not just a story of a genius battling illness, but also a deep exploration of love, perseverance, and the complexity of human nature.
He emphasized that the film required performances that were extremely restrained yet full of tension; any exaggerated or superficial interpretation would not be permitted.
Landon listened very attentively. Although he had long since memorized his lines perfectly, and his understanding of the character Charles had reached a considerable depth under ※_24 hours_⛬'s guidance,
he still yearned to hear the director's most direct intentions to ensure his performance direction matched the overall style.
He was also soberly aware that an attempt to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor with this film was largely hopeless.
Firstly, because public relations resources were limited, and the protagonist of this drama, Russell Crowe, had just won the Best Actor award for Gladiator, but he still intended to contend for the award again with this film.
Secondly, Landon was too young; he was only eighteen years old, and would only be twenty even by the time of the film's release.
Thirdly, his role didn't have many scenes, and Jennifer Connelly in this film would also be contending for Best Supporting Actress.
This, to some extent, made it impossible for other supporting actors in the same movie to have another chance at the same category of award.
But this did not prevent Landon from pursuing a performance that could withstand the scrutiny of the silver screen and critical reviewers.
The formal script reading session began, proceeding according to the script order.
The initial parts mainly covered the segments of Nash, played by Russell Crowe, studying at Princeton, and the romantic drama of his encounter and falling in love with Alicia, played by Jennifer Connelly.
Landon listened quietly, observing how Russell Crowe used his voice to shape Nash's early shyness, paranoia, and astonishing focus, and also appreciating the unique intellectual gentleness and resilience in Jennifer Connelly's vocal tone.
As time passed, the script turned to the section where Nash began showing severe symptoms of Schizophrenia.
He was immersed in the world of delusion he had constructed, suffering greatly.
At this point, Landon's scenes arrived.
It was the scene where Nash's "playboy roommate" Charles Herman first "appeared" in the dormitory at the start of the new semester.
Unlike his previous rehearsals with Teacher ※_24 hours_⛬, this time he had to face Oscar Best Actor winner Russell Crowe directly, acting opposite this Method Acting Superstar.
In fact, ever since Russell Crowe walked into the conference room, a doubt had persisted in his mind.
This young actor's physical appearance was undoubtedly outstanding, but "Charles" didn't just require handsomeness.
The character is a projection of Nash's deepest desire for unrestrained freedom, friendship, and indulgence. He must possess a fatal charm and persuasiveness that makes the audience believe why Nash would create and rely on such a phantom.
Landon looked... a bit too young, and too "sunny"?
It wasn't just Russell; almost everyone in the conference room focused their attention on Landon, wanting to see if this young man could truly portray the role well.
This level of pressure was manageable for Landon, after all, he had experienced such situations too many times in his previous life.